Tennessee 69, Mississippi State 53: Jordan McRae scored 17 points and Trae Golden added 15 as the fifth-seeded Volunteers held off the Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC tournament at Nashville, Tenn.

Jarnell Stokes collected 10 points and nine rebounds and Quinton Chievous scored 10 off the bench Tennessee (20-11), which will face No. 4 seed Alabama in Friday's quarterfinals.

Craig Sword scored 19 points and Colin Borchert chipped in 12 for No. 13 seed Mississippi State (10-22). The Bulldogs had won three of their previous four games, including a first-round victory over South Carolina on Wednesday.

The Volunteers locked down on defense in the opening half, holding Mississippi State to 25.9 percent shooting to take a 35-19 lead into the break.

Sword and Borchert began to find a rhythm early in the second half and drew the Bulldogs within 58-49 on Sword’s free throw with 4:42 remaining. But McRae and Stokes made back-to-back baskets to push it back to double figures and Tennessee had little trouble closing it out.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Volunteers have won three straight and nine of their last 10 to reach the NCAA Tournament bubble. Tennessee split two meetings with Alabama in the regular season. … The Volunteers shot 51.8 percent from the field but struggled to 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. … Sword scored at least 19 points in three of the last four games.